IMPACT

Thank you for your past interest in the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s IMPACT grantmaking program. We deeply appreciate the work you and your organization do to strengthen our community, and we are grateful for your partnership over the years.

When IMPACT launched in 2009, the Foundation was able to award $1,000,000 in grants, with an average grant size of $20,000. Over time, as these initial funds were fully deployed and demand for the program continued to grow, the Foundation found itself making many smaller grants that, while meaningful, were often not large enough to achieve the level of impact we strive for through our grantmaking.

In 2017, in response to declining available dollars, the Foundation updated the IMPACT program to allow general operating support grantees the opportunity to renew their grants for up to two additional years. Since then, the Foundation has supported five cohorts of renewal grants, deepening our investment in organizations demonstrating strong outcomes and community impact.

In recent years, the Foundation has made significant investments to support our region’s recovery from COVID-19, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters, while also navigating challenges in the investment market. As a result, resources available for IMPACT have remained limited. In the program’s most recent iteration, only 17 percent of applicants were able to be funded. Recognizing that this level of competitiveness was not serving nonprofits—or the community—as effectively as possible, the Foundation paused the IMPACT program in 2023 to thoughtfully redesign it in a way that aligns available resources with the growing needs of our region.

As we move forward, the IMPACT program will now operate on an invitation-only basis. This approach reflects best practices in philanthropy by allowing the Foundation to make deeper, more strategic investments in organizations that align closely with our strategic priorities, informed by learning, relationships, and community knowledge.

An invitation-only process does not mean that organizations will lose opportunities to connect with the Foundation. Our programmatic team remains deeply committed to staying engaged with nonprofits across the region by spending time in the community, convening organizations for coordination, learning, and relationship building, and networking with our philanthropic peers and partners. We have also launched a Nonprofit Mission and Impact Form on the grants page of our website where organizations are able to share information on their organizations and efforts.

We recognize that this change may be disappointing, and we sincerely value the time and effort you have invested in previous applications. While we are unable to consider unsolicited applications for IMPACT moving forward, we encourage you to stay connected through our newsletter and website for future grant opportunities that may be a strong fit for your work. We also invite you to take advantage of our Nonprofit Leadership and Effectiveness offerings.

Thank you again for all that you do to serve our community. If you have questions about this update, please contact us at grants@gnof.org.

The Foundation offers free access to Foundation Directory Online, an extensive online database that grantseekers can use to research and identify prospective funders and funding opportunities.

You can access the database, for free, at the Foundation – 919 St. Charles Avenue. The database is only accessible in person. You can reserve a time to search here.

Special Funding Opportunities

Harold W. Newman, Jr. Charitable Trust – Funding for organizations that provide health care assistance to residents of New Orleans whose U.S. adjusted gross income for the preceding tax year, when added to any tax-exempt income and income from a spouse for that same year, is at least $75,000 but not more than $200,000. The health care assistance must be for cancer, heart disease, or Alzheimer’s. 

Kahn-Oppenheim Trust – Funding for the development and/or improvement of public health outreach and education programs to inform people about ways to prevent diseases like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, HIV/AIDS, and others, insofar as these programs involve physical, nutritional, or dietary regimens. 

Gulf States Eye Surgery Fund – Funding for organizations that defray the expenses of poor or indigent patients requiring or receiving eye surgery, care, or treatment. 

Michael R. Boh Fund – Funding for organizations that help children and their families who have been rejected by the institutions that most children rely on for their development.

How to Apply for Funding 

Note: All grant applicants will need to create an account using our online system to apply. Basic information will be stored for future use when new applications are submitted. We have a simple two-step process: 

1. Use our online portal to submit an application along with all attachments by 11:59 pm (CT) on Friday, August 2, 2024.
2. GNOF program staff will review all applications and will contact those organizations that are selected for a site visit.

Special Funding Category awards are expected to be announced in November 2024.

Still Have Questions?

If you have a question, please e-mail your question to grants@gnof.org (please put “IMPACT Question” in the subject line).